As the first day of class approaches, many students prepare for the mountains and valleys they are going to face in the coming semester differently. Some students may have their books purchased before the teacher introduces themselves and others wait to hear, “A textbook is not mandatory for this class.”
A fashion forward student may have their clothes ready and prepared for their fashion debut the following morning and others may lean towards sweatpants and sweatshirts because comfort is simply easier.
Then there’s the freshman, someone who was once eager to rid themselves of their adolescent ways and venture into the real world. A world where parents may not be so near and professors aren’t so dear. On the other hand there’s the senior, who is also eager, but eager for a different real world. A world where there’s neither teachers nor homework, but bills and bosses.
Majoring in chemistry as a freshman, Rebecca Greene said she’s ready for all that college has to offer.
“I’m an only child so I haven’t heard many college stories,” Greene said. “I just know it’s not high school anymore. I think once I get the first school week out of the way I’ll be ok.”
Greene said she realized that although she’s experienced first day of school jitters, this time is different.
“I’m not in a class with my friends that I grew up with,” Greene said. “It’s like I have to start over. I crossed one milestone graduating high school and now I have to take on another. I’m ready though.”
Another freshman with an undecided major named Kennedy Whitmore said, “This will be my second first day of classes of my college life. I don’t think I will be as nervous as I was the fall semester because I don’t have to deal with moving away from home or figuring out campus.” Whitmore said jokingly that she was overly hyped up for no reason. “It’s different, but at the end of the day school is school.”
These sentiments are a fleeting feeling for some seniors. Daria Bortters, a senior majoring in psychology, said, “I’m just ready to graduate!” Bortters explains that she’s been in school since she was five, and although graduating college will be a major accomplishment for her she still faces graduate school.
“Eventually the first day of school isn’t about wondering who will be in my class this semester,” Bortters said. “But more of let’s get the first day out of the way so the last day of class will be a day closer.”
First day of class to John Patterson, a senior majoring in business finance, is a reality check. He said, “I will be completely finished with school in May. A reality that seemed years away is right around the corner.” Patterson said that finding and keeping a job will be his next focus. “You hear people talk about the real world, but you don’t realize what that means until you have real bills and a real family to care for. I could only imagine how hard it is for people who had to deal the real world and college life.”
